Supermarket Operator Albertsons Names New CIO

Albertsons Cos., the supermarket operator behind Albertsons, Safeway, Vons and other stores, has hired Anuj Dhanda as its new chief information officer, the company announced this week. He is expected to start Dec. 7.

Mr. Dhanda, who comes from supermarket chain Giant Eagle Inc. where he is CIO and senior vice president, will be overseeing IT strategy for one of the largest players in an industry that is being reshaped by technology. Traditional grocery stores have struggled in recent years, amid ramped up competition from discounters, like Wal-Mart, as well as newer upscale brands, such as Whole food Market Inc.

Justin Dye, the Boise, Idaho-based company’s chief administrative officer, said Mr. Dhanda brings an “extensive background in merger integration, digital marketing and commerce, systems modernization and data security,” according to a company statement.

Prior to joining Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle in 2013, Mr. Dhanda served over five years as CIO at PNC Financial Services Group after several years in other executive positions there. He has held senior management positions in strategic planning and marketing at JP Morgan Chase & Co.

At Albertsons, he will oversee IT for more than 2,200 stores across 35 states.

Last month Albertsons reported a 4.4% gain in same-store sales for its September quarter, with net sales of $13.4 billion. Its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization more than doubled to $570 million, from $217 million a year earlier, reflecting its $9.4 billion merger with Safeway in January.

But Safeway’s former CIO Barry Libenson, who has since moved to Experian PLC, told CIO Journal back in June that “most of the retail industry is pretty regressive in terms of technology.”

And as more supermarkets go digital, the risk of cyber attacks has increased. A data breach at Target two years ago exposed tens of millions of credit and debit cards to fraud during the holiday season.

Mr. Dhanda, who will be based at the chain’s Boise headquarters, has a degree in commerce from the University of Delhi and a Ph.D in finance from Rutgers University.